Resilient wheel



5 Sheets-Sheet l I a i INVENTOR. Pmspm E EHULET ATTDRNEYS P. E. CHOLET RES ILIENT WHEEL July 19, 1949.

Filed March 1 1946 July 19, 1949. P. E. CHOLET 2,476,835

RES ILIENT WHEEL Filed March 14, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

FRUS'F'ER E. EHULET AT TERA/E Y5 P. E. CHOLET RES ILIENT WHEEL July 19, 1949.

s Shets-Sheet 3 Filed March 14, 1946 IN VEN TOR.

PROSPER E. CHOLET W QM YQ-LBL A TTOR/VE Y5.

Patented July 19, 1949 -UN1TED STATES PATENT OFFICE V 2,476,835 I Y 1 RESILIENT TWHEEL Prosper E. Cholet, New Brunswick, N. J. 1

Application March 14, 1946, Serial No. 654,311

4 Claims.

. v 1 1 This invention relates to resilient wheels and has for an object the production of an article that can be used for a variety of purposes, among which are wheels as hereinafter described, the sides of wire and cable reels and the like, the sides of film spools, diaphragms for use in various kinds of apparatus such as pumps, valves and the like. The article can also be used for one of the members in transmission clutches and in fact wherever a disc is to be employed. Another object of the invention is to provide a wheel particularly adapted for wheel vehicles and the like, including airplane wheels. Other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully'hereafter appear.

The accompanying drawings illustrate two forms of apparatus suitable for making the wheel described herein. By way of illustration the invention is described as applied to a wheel. It will be understood, however, that the description and drawings are merely illustrative and not limitative of the invention, for once the inventive con- ,cept is understood, wide variations can be made in the wheel which is as defined in the appendant claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view partly in section of the article of manufacture before the annular elastic web therein is tensioned and secured to the outer rigid member or rim.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the web in tension with the rim applied.

Fig. 3 isa diagram of a machine that maybe used to produce the article of manufacture described herein.

Fig. 4 is a view on the line 4, 4, Fig. 3. a

Fig. 5 is a diagram showing how the annular resilient flange is stretched or tensioned by the apparatus shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a view of an alternate form of an apparatus that can be used similar to that shown in Fig. 3 to tension the annular resilient flange or web and assemble the rigid annular member thereto. Fig. '7 is a view partly in section of the article of manufacture produced by the apparatus shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a view partly in section of an alternate form of construction of the article of manufacture and Fig. 9 is a view partly in section of an alternate form of construction of the article of manu facture. 1

The main inventive concept herein disclosed i that of providing an article of manufacturecom- I r r 2 prising an annular elastic web having rigid annular-members secured to the inner and outer peripheries of said web, the latter being held under radial tension between said members. Referring to Fig. 1 the numeral l0 denotes such an annular elastic web which may be made of any suitable material such as rubber having the necessary elastic properties so thatthe web may be expanded or tensioned as hereinafter described.

The body of the web l0 lying between the inner and outer edges thereof may be of any suitable cross-section depending on the use to which the device is to be put, for example, the web may be concave in cross-section, or convex or may take any other suitable'form.

The inner annular'periphery of the web It) terminates in an enlargedportion indicated by the numeral H, and the outer annular periphery of the web terminates in the enlarged portion indicated by the numeral l2. These enlarged portions may be of circular-cross-section as shown, or of any other suitable formation so as to be tightly gripped and held in the rigid annular members to be presently described.

The inner rigid annular member, which is secured to the inner periphery of the web, is in- .dicated at l3, l4, and mayform in the case of a wheel the :hub thereof. This member, therefore,

may comprise two annular flat members having arcuate depressions in their inner surfaces to receive the inner edge ll of the web, and these members may be bolted or otherwise secured together by a plurality of bolts, l5, or in any other suitable manner, such as by rivets,,in which case i I 'thenutslG may bea'omitted.

: Instead of forming the inner member in two parts as shown at l3 and M, the inner member may comprise'a circular ring or flange or U -shaped formation, which can be. placed over the inner edge II and thenthe'open ends of the U can be bent down round the edge I I so, as to grip same.

The means for attaching both the inner and outer rigid members to the web is'immaterial, as long' as they are securely fastened to the inner and outer edges thereof.

The inner members l3, l4 having been attached to the inner edge H of the web, as just described, the web in its unstretched condition will be as 'shown in Fig. 1. Now if the web is tensioned radially, that is to say uniformly stretched out- -.wardly'from the member l3, l4, hereinafter sometimes 'termed the hub, the outer diameter of the web will be expanded to the position shown in Fig. 2. This can .be accomplished by means hereinafter described, and while the body portion of the web Ill is held in expanded position, as shown Such an article when used, for example ass.

wheel, may be equipped with any suitable form r r '4 cut off flush with the members I1, [8. The finished article is removed from the device, Fig. 3, in a manner that will be obvious.

In Fig; 6, is shown a diagrammatic view of an alternate form of apparatus that can be used to practice the method herein described of tensioning the web. Here there is a revolvable shaft 36 to which is secured the hub l3, l4, previously described so that the hub and its lass oeiated web 7 I 0 revolves with the sha v p Also carried on the shaft to rotate therewith,

(but free to move laterally along said shaft) is of tire, such as shown at 2! which is secured-to the outer member l1, l8 hereinafter sometimes termed the rim.

The hub I3, I4 is attached to or mounted uPOn a shaft 22 and the result is a wheel in which the weight is supported by stretched rubber, or simr ilar elastic materiaL'at all times, thereby utilizing the elastic properties of the material" forming the web in a structure involvinga. minimum of weight, and which is adapted to absorb vibrations and shocks, which isusilent in operation and which may be adapted to meet practically any operating condition by varyingtheithicke ness, diameter, composition'and tension'of the web. The rubber web, asdescribed, permits in many cases the use of solid instead of pneumatictires as it has an inherent resiliency not found in other types of. wheels where solid tires are employed.

Figure 3 shows an apparatus that maybe used to producethe article of manufacture described in connection with the precedingfigures.

The-figure diagrammatically illustrates aihy's I web I0. The gripping members 25; 26 are pivotally" connected'in any suitable mannen-suchas'by the pins 29 passing through upstanding ears on said membersvto a plurality-or arms .30, the upper ends of which are pivotally connected by piixs 3| to ears 32 dependingfrom amember 33, secured to a shaft 34 connected tothe piston of the by draulic or other pressure cylinder 36. j

Any suitable number of thegrippingm mbers can be used de ending on the outer diameter of the web to be tensioned, the grippingv members being clamped to the outer'periph'ery'of the web. If the cylinder 36 is operated, member '33 moves downward and the gripping members will be forced outward radially. f As the inner hub 13, I4 is held in the center of the device by shaft 34 which slides through the hub, the body of the web [0 will be radially stretched or tensioned outwardly. The outer enlarged edge l2 of the web will be pulled outwardlyuntil it lies between the outer rigid members l1; l8, which. have been pla-ced'above and below the web before stretching the same; and referring to Fig. 5, when the web is sufficiently stretched so that the outer edge t2 lies between said members t1; l8, bolts and nuts i9, may be applied thereto, thereby clamping the web in its expanded or tensioned position between the hub and the rim. i

The neck 28a, between the work-flange 28 and the enlarged portion llof theweb, may now be a pair of frames 31, 31 which support at their 15 outward extremities the rim members (1, l8. Members 31 are provided with any suitable locking meanssuch asthe spring pressed latches 38, which are free to ride over the catches 39 so that when the members 31 are brought together laterally'they will be held locked together. 'The spring supports 37a are fixedv to 'shaft236' to revolve therewith but do not movetherealong. 1-

If the assembly shown in Fig. v6 is rotated with the members 31 initially'held apartby meansof the springs 40', (supported on the supported-1d) the web IQ is free to expand'outwardly due to centrifugal force until-the outer edge [2 there'qi moves from the position shown in Solid lines =t0 that shown in dottedline's, and whendt reaches The pins 4! may now be removed from the de -p vice and th bolts l9 may be applied'to therim members l1, l8'to hold same on the edge ll-"of the web in which is held in expanded position between the hub andthe'web. s y

It will be obvious that for heavy webs thehydraulic arrangement shown in Fig. 3 is more suitable than for light webs for which the ma chine shown in Fig. 6 can be used. f'

Referring to'Fig. 8, showing analternate form of construction in which theweb is-tensioned "between the hub and the'rir'n, it willbe seen that here the web may be made of two annular members 42, 43, which, when placed togetherl'at their inner and outer'periph'eri'es, as 'shownjprovide an air chamber 44'therebetween. The valve stem 45 extends inwardly and then upwardlyqto pro vide an air inlet 46 which is equipped witn t-he usual tire valve, so that the chamber '44 can be inflated, thereby placing the annularside walls of "the web lying between the, hub and therimunder tension. a a V Obviously, the double walled; arrangement shown in Fig. 6, can be assembled with thejs ide 0 with Figs. ,3 and 6, so that the side walls oi the web will be under an initial tension before air is ap .plied'to the chamber 44. This chamber, therefore, affords an. additional means ottensioning the web which on occasion may be adjusted by varying the degreeoi air-pressure in chamber 44 in order to adapt the device to agiven set of ope! ating conditions. 1:;

Figure 9 shows an alternate form ofconstftlction of the double walled web, as described-in connection with Fig. 8. Here the chamber is formed between the side walls 41, and 48 vlz'l'iich areintegral with the inner and outer edges H and outer peripheries of the 7 IQ of the web. In other words, the web is made in one piece with an air pocket 44 therein.

In this embodiment of the invention the air valve 46 is preferably brought out through one side of the web, as shown, instead of extending down into the hub, and if a pneumatic tire, as shown at 49, is employed the air tube 50 and the air valve 5| for same may be brought out through one of the rim members such as IT.

It will be understood that no attempt has been made to show the details of the hub construction and how it may be attached to a shaft or otherwise supported, nor has any attempt been made to show how the tires 2| and 49 may be attached to the rims. Any suitable construction may be employed.

While two methods of tensioning the web have been described, it will be understood that the method herein disclosed is not limited to the employment of these two means or any other specific means. For example, if the web is frozen while under expansion by any suitable method of refrigeration, it is possible to attach the hub and rim thereto while the web is frozen. When the web is removed from the refrigerated environment it absorbs heat from the atmosphere and will automatically tension itself between the hub and the rim.

As the procedure incident to cooling stretched material, such as rubber, is well known, it is sufficient to point out, as above, that a machine like that shown in Fig. 3 may be employed to merely tension the rubber web, which is then frozen while under tension and while held at low temperature the hub and rim may be attached thereto. The web is then permitted to assume room temperature.

In the case of the wheels shown in Figs. 8 and 9 it may be desirable for some applications to make the side walls of the web so thin that in case the air chamber 44 becomes deflated the wheels would have a tendency to collapse. This can be avoided by placing in the air chamber a suitable metal or plastic member 52 which does not carry any load when the chamber 44 is properly inflated, but which does prevent the collapse of the web in case the chamber is deflated, for in the latter event the inner and outer edges of the member 52 will engage the adjacent walls of the chamber as indicated at 53, 54 and serve as a temporary support preventing collapse of the web.

I claim:

1. A wheel having a hub and a rim, and an annular resilient member having a web portion and inner and outer rim portions of greater crosssection than said web portion secured to said hub and rim, said web portion being held in tension between said rim portions and serving as the sole support for said rim.

2. A wheel having a hub and a rim, an annular resilient member having a web portion with an annular air chamber therein, means for attaching the peripheries of said member to said hub and rim, and a valved member forming a conduit communicating with said chamber whereby same may be filled to tension the web portion of said member.

3. A wheel having a hub and a rim, a pair of annular members forming a web and secured at their peripheries to said hub and rim and forming an annular air chamber spaced apart between said hub and rim, and a valved member forming a conduit communicating with said chamber whereby same may be filled to tension the walls of said web.

4. A wheel comprising a pair of members forming a hub, an annular resilient web having its inner edge clamped between said members, a pair of members forming a rim secured to the outer edge of said web and embracing the same, said web being in tension between said hub and rim.

PROSPER E. CHOLET.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,446,922 Morse Feb. 27, 1923 1,527,037 Erickson Feb. 17, 1925 1,588,481 Lord June 15, 1926 1,661,643 Waddell Mar. 6, 1928 1,717,548 Ber June 18, 1929 1,730,559 Carnahan Oct. 8, 1929 2,022,217 Rimailho Nov. 26, 1935 

